Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Ban Lifted in Europe, Except Germany

Apple claimed that Samsung has copied the iPhone and iPad in creating the Galaxy Tab, and infringed its intellectual property rights, due to which the German court halted the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Europe (except in the Netherlands). The decision, however, was ruled out by the DÃ¼sseldorf District Court stating that the German court does not have the authority to ban sales except within its own country.

According to the Dutch publication Webwereld, the ban imposed by the German court on August 10th has now been lifted, which was confirmed by Peter Schutz, spokesperson for the Dusseldorf District Court.

The international company, Samsung Korea, may for now be back Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets shipping, trading and distribution in Europe, except Germany. For the German establishment, Samsung GmbH, the trade ban remains in effect. The interim statement is valid until the hearing, which is August 25 on the roll.

Apple was seeking the German court to impose a penalty, which Samsung could have faced fines up to $350,000 (250,000 euros) per unit sold under the ban.

Improper Evidence:

The picture of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 that Apple provided as evidence to the court was inaccurate or manipulated. According to Webwereld, the image of the tablet “created” by Apple shows an aspect ratio of 1.36, which is closer to the aspect ratio of 1.30 of the iPhone 2. According to the suit filed in April in the U.S. District Court in Northern California, Samsung’s Galaxy line of mobile phones and tablets have slavishlycopied the iPhone and iPad. The lawsuit stated –

Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smart phone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple’s technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products,

The temporary lift of the ban is valid until the next hearing when Apple and Samsung meet again in court on August 25.

Samsung is certainly having a sigh of relief now. In a statement, Samsung stated: “We look forward to the opportunity to reassert our intellectual property rights at the hearing scheduled on August 25.”

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Joel Fernandes

Joel Fernandes (G+) is a tech enthusiast and a social media blogger. During his leisure time, he enjoys taking photographs, and photography is one of his most loved hobbies. You can find some of his photos on Flickr.He does a little of web coding, and maintains a tech blog of his own - Techo Latte.Joel is currently pursuing his Masters in Computer Application from Bangalore, India. You can get in touch with him on Twitter - @joelfernandes, or visit his Facebook Profile for more information. View all posts by Joel Fernandes